


Run, Baby, Run

by CobaltBoba



Series: Check Yes Juliet [1]
Category: SEVENTEEN (Band)
Genre: Alternate Universe - Gang, Alternate Universe - Romeo and Juliet, Blood and Injury, F...fox and the Hound AU?, Friends to Lovers to Enemies to Lovers, Hopefully the fluff and the angst balance each other out...., M/M, Other Additional Tags to Be Added, high school assigned reading references, not a songfic the song just fits, nothing you wouldnt say to a chill teacher, sex jokes but like, y'know how like teenagers talk
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2018-07-06
Updated: 2018-08-02
Packaged: 2019-05-31 14:34:45
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 4
Words: 8,779
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/15121511
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/CobaltBoba/pseuds/CobaltBoba
Summary: Don't sell your heart,Don't say we're not meant to beRun, baby, runForever we'll beYou and meWen Junhui and Jeon Wonwoo, inseparable since childhood, do their best to stay together even as the odds continue to stack against their happiness.





	1. Intro: Moonlight

**Author's Note:**

> HAPPY 10 MILLION VIEWS CALL CALL CALL!  
> Since this is Call x3 inspired, it made sense to post it on this wondrous day. I hope you enjoy this fluff I almost died writing a couple times! 
> 
> Outlined by Swanny_Writer, fluffed up into Writing(tm) by me. I'd say go check her works out, but if you're searching for Wonhui Content then I'm assuming you've seen some writing of hers by now (and if you haven't, read this first so your standards don't shoot to the Andromeda Galaxy please and thanks).

“Wonwoo!” The hushed laugh that escaped as the two teenagers pressed together for the first time in what seemed like ages was barely covered by the admonishing whisper-yell from the older of the two. The embracing couple huddled together in the dark of night that was only illuminated by the stars above, yet at this point they were too absorbed in each other to marvel at the twinkling lights. 

Junhui had arrived at the local college’s conservatory rooftop first, and as he waited for the moon to rise and the stars to blink into vision, his sides had been suddenly assaulted by vicious pokes that were followed by a pair of arms wrapping around him to keep him from escaping his tickling assailant. Leave it to Wonwoo to creep up on him, the sneaky tease. So of course Junhui had hissed his boyfriend’s name to complain, but the shock and indignation from being tickled couldn’t even begin to compare to the sheer joy the two felt from being able to to see each other and hold each other once again. 

The moment Junhui turned to face Wonwoo and return his embrace, the latter leaned forward to bury his head in Junhui’s shoulder. “I’ve missed you, kitten,” his voice murmured, low and tender. “It’s been too long.”

“I know, right?” Junhui let out a contented sigh as he nuzzled the other’s neck, “It’s stupid we have to wait so long just to see each other.” The complaining was muffled by jacket material, but in the silence of the night Wonwoo heard him as clear as day. A chuckle was given in response as Wonwoo rubbed soft circles into Junhui’s back.

“You say that every time we meet up.”

“Yeah, but it doesn’t become less true every time and you know it. And you agree, too.”

“I really can’t argue with that, can I?”

“You can’t. Please don’t try or I’d cry.”

The two pulled apart after their Junhui’s ‘threat’ to share a smile, another laugh that couldn’t be held back by self control or shame. “And we wouldn’t want that at all,” came the reply as Wonwoo leaned in to plant a quick peck on Junhui’s lips. Though the night was cold, their contact was warm, and immediately after they pulled each other close again to simply sway in the moonlight. 

Wonwoo looked upward from where his head was nestled over Junhui’s shoulder to, for the first time since their meeting, recall why they had chosen this specific spot to be their ‘secret place’. The stars scattered in the sky glistened despite the artificial light polluting the air and spoke serenity, a nice change of pace from their individual lives. 

“Hey, kitten, should we sit? The meteor shower should be starting soon, and I feel like if I keep looking up like this I won’t be able to look back down.” The younger nudged Junhui’s shoulder with his chin and took a step back, unwrapping his arms from him to instead take hold of his hands. “And that would be a bummer, because,” still holding on to Junhui’s, Wonwoo raised his right hand to tilt the former’s face up, “I’d miss the beauty right in front of me.” 

Junhui could swear he felt his body temperature rise a few degrees, and he hoped the grayscale coloring would hide the blush he just knew was creeping up his face. “Shut Up, Jeon Wonwoo.” He leaned forward to tap his forehead against his boyfriends as he squeezed his eyes shut in embarrassment, but the low rumble of a laugh that sounded as a result of his action washed his annoyance and embarrassment away and replaced it with pure fondness. “But sure. Yeah. We can sit.” 

Without letting go of Wonwoo he shuffled over to the door to the roof, nudged it open with his foot, and used that same foot to drag two folded blankets - one to sit on and one to wrap themselves in - and a pillow out from directly inside. The couple separated for a moment to unfold the blankets as quickly as possible and immediately reattached themselves as they settled onto the soft surface. Wonwoo sat first, then Junhui took his spot on the former’s crossed legs and leaned back into his embrace once more. The younger hummed in thought. “Any chance you’d let me be on top next time?” 

A beat of silence. 

“First of all, ew. Second, no, your bony butt’d stab into my legs and I wouldn’t be able to walk for two days. And then Hansol would give me a Look, and I’d have to say out loud that no we didn’t do anything.” 

Now that he was nestled against Wonwoo’s chest, he could feel Wonwoo’s laughs reverberate though not only his own body, but Junhui’s as well. “Whatever you say, I guess.” A sigh sounded from Wonwoo again as he gazed upward. It was unfortunate that the moon would be so bright on a night when they wanted to observe the stars, but what could be done?

“...You know, the moon’s beautiful tonight.” Wonwoo sounded wistful, and to Junhui it sounded like he wanted to steal the orb out of the sky and keep it in his pocket. 

“Hm. It really is.” Perhaps it was a blessing that the space rock was so big this time around; the stars were always present, but the moon was fickle. 

“I wasn’t talking about the moon in the sky.”

Oh dear Lord. Junhui could hear the smirk in Wonwoo’s voice, and he was sure that Wonwoo could feel his heart skip a beat. At least this time the rise in body temperature would be shared between the two. Junhui groaned in attempt to mask his embarrassment from the compliment and whined. “You’re so cheesy tonight, Wonwon, take a break!” 

Wonwoo brought his head forward to murmur against Junhui’s neck, the smirk still plastered to his face. “But you love it anyway,” the retort came without warning and Junhui found himself caught between rolling his eyes and kissing his stupid cheesy teasing boyfriend. He opted to do both. “Yeah…” his response sounded as they pulled away from the sweet contact. “I love you.”

Wonwoo hasn’t completely expected such a bold move and full words from the flushed boy, but it simply broke his smirk into a nose crinkling grin. “I love you too, kitt-“

Before he could finish, a cry of delight from Junhui cut through the air as he broke eye contact to snap his vision toward the sky. “Did you see that? First shooting star tonight!” Wonwoo followed his boyfriend’s excited pointing to catch the trail left by the star. Beautiful, truly stunning. But the moment he turned his gaze back to Junhui, he was assured that nothing would be able to ever compare to the look of childlike wonder in his kitten’s eyes. 

_ Shooting stars are for wishes, right? Then I wish for us to be together forever _ . 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I uh. Still haven’t decided an update schedule since I only have a little bit written and I don’t want to disappoint but, hey we’ll see! Maybe every 2 mil Call Call Call gets :thinking:
> 
> Thank you for reading!! If you have comments I'd love to read them ;w;


	2. Childlike Wonder

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> A brief recap.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> The intro was the intro, but I feel like it doesn't really set the tone for the story too well, so here's the first actual Chapter immediately!  
> Hope you enjoy! ♡( ´▽｀)

Jeon Wonwoo and Wen Junhui grew up in the same neighborhood of the same city. From childhood the two had attended the same school, and even among seas of other children with wildly varying personalities the two of them stuck together like they were superglued to each other.

Their first interaction as seven-year-olds came when Wonwoo had spotted a cat lolling about in a bush nearby their classroom during recess. He squatted by the bush and watched the cat, so enamored by its patterned back, its softly swaying tail, its steady gaze and its calmness that he had failed to noticed another boy had joined him in watching the feline. Junhui watched with wide eyes sparkling, mouth agape at the fact that one his favorite animal was right there in front of him! Together the two stared in silence, both consciously aware that if they moved too quickly or spoke too loudly, the kitty would run away. 

When the bell signaled the end of recess and the cat stretched to leave, Junhui pulled his companion to the side and and started absolutely gushing about their shared experience. 

“DID YOU SEE ITS EYES? And when it meowed it was SO cute! It’s tail was like-like a clock! The tall ones that have the thing that swings back and forth? You’re Wonwon right? Wonwon we have to ask the teacher to let us keep a class pet please it would be so cute!”

All the excitement that the little boy felt that couldn’t be expressed during recess now exploded out of him, which took ‘Wonwon’ by surprise. The content of Junhui’s yelling was more or less what had gone on in his own mind, but here his classmate was, vocalizing it for the both of them. And wait, Wonwon?

“Uh, actually, my name is Wonwoo,” he raised his hand as to not too rudely interrupt his classmate. Junhui was the social butterfly, a charismatic bubbly child who could make friends with anybody, so it was fine that he didn’t remember the name of his classmate in the second grade who was finishing up  _ Harry Potter _ . 

The rambling boy clamped his hands over his mouth at Wonwoo’s words, devastated. Names were a big thing! What if the boy who also liked cats now  _ didn’t  _ like him? Sure he didn’t  _ look _ mad, but what if he secretly was? When Junhui didn’t unclamp himself for half a minute, Wonwoo prodded the slightly uncomfortable silence. “I… I mean, Wonwon can be a nickname?” 

At this, Junhui beamed and spread his arms out so that he now posed like a star. “Okay! But you seem to like Wonwoo, so I’ll mainly call you that, is that okay?”

“That’s okay.” 

 

And from then on out, the two were hardly separated. It turned out that they both had a pretty terrible, punny sense of humor that let them share laughs that other people would roll their eyes at, and as fate would have it, they were grouped in the same class every year. Even in middle school they always shared at least one class. 

After school the duo would visit the park to search for strays or run to the arcade or grab snacks together. What they had in common they shared endlessly, and what differences they had were only beautified in how they contrasted. A quiet Wonwoo and bursting Junhui could become a rambling Wonwoo and a listening Junhui, and that could become the two of them falling over each other in laughter because of a single joke. 

Naturally, after so much time spent together and sharing their lives with each other as they did, feelings past “best friend” began to grow. They found themselves craving each other’s presence for reasons more than just routine; and soon, soon they didn’t want to be apart at all. Now elevated to Best Friends But Definitely Romantically Dating, Junhui and Wonwoo surprised exactly nobody when word got out. Everyone from close friends to tentative classmates knew they were joined at the hip, and the fact that they had had matching phone lockscreens of each other since they had phones certainly added to the surprise there. 

Yet even still, as if they were afraid some force would tear them apart the moment they came too close together, their kisses were limited to small stolen pecks between classes and quick sneaks when it felt like nobody was looking, and even handholding was limited to the halls where it felt like you were nothing amidst the churning crowd of teenagers. Where nobody would notice. Everywhere else was leaning and constant contact, but never the skinship the two of them wished they could share. 

Yet even still, they were happy. To know that the person you love most loves you back, to know that the person you love is simultaneously the person you trust most in this world. For their high school years this continued, and with every bump in their relationship it only grew stronger. Through thick and thin, from the petty problems to the life-shattering discoveries they were there for each other. Soft hugs and soft cats would be shared in comfort, and even softer kisses where they weren’t necessary. 

 

But all good things must come to an end. 

 

When they were seventeen, their worst fears came true, and they were torn apart by the most domineering powers in their lives: family. As it happened, Junhui’s “family business” was being in a gang. And as it happened, Wonwoo’s family was part of their rival gang. There was mutual understanding between the two groups to leave the children alone, as they knew nothing and meant no harm, but in their teen years the lines blurred. Now they could defend themselves, defend their territory, and defend their family, and soon enough they would officially join the ranks of this seemingly inescapable job. So if the two boys wandered too deep into the territory of one side or another, they could be killed. 

Within a week of each other, Junhui and Wonwoo’s respective parents told the two to “stop hanging out” with each other. It was now time to take this “work” seriously, and being around the other boy would bring nothing but danger and trouble. 

In wake of the order Junhui had approached Wonwoo and pulled him to an unseen corner of their school, his head spinning and chest aching. Both of them were frantic. They didn’t want to leave each other, how could they? Even the thought of being apart after constantly being together for ten years was making Junhui’s head hurt as he held onto his boyfriend who returned his embrace. 

“Hey, it’ll be okay, right?” Wonwoo spoke first to try to alleviate some of the stress on the situation, “we can stay in neutral zones together, or even just school if it gets bad enough. They can’t separate us forever.”

“Maybe,” Junhui sniffed in return, face buried in Wonwoo’s shoulder. He wanted to think about this rationally and agree, but for the moment he was overtaken by the fear of losing Wonwoo’s hold. His scent, his warmth, his jokes, his smile, his voice, his sweaters, his cuddles, his comfort — him. What if something happened to him? What if something happened to him because of Junhui? His body was beginning to tremble against Wonwoo’s as thought after thought intruded and assaulted his mind. What if-

“Kitten.” Wonwoo cupped Junhui’s face in his hands and lifted it gently so he was looking into his eyes. His thumbs wiped at Junhui’s tears softly, and he forced himself to maintain eye contact even if it meant choking up himself. “I know you’re worried. I-“ he gulped, “I… I am too, but we have to do what we can.” 

Junhui nodded slowly, leaving a deep silence hanging between the two. What was there to say? If they were caught by their parents, or really anybody who had a say in their lives, their lives could quite literally be ended. He again spaced out in his anxious overthinking, until Wonwoo coughed. 

“I can’t believe we’re actual real life Romeo and Juliet.” A hint of mischief lit up behind his round-rimmed glasses as he very pointedly reminded Junhui of the play and movie that had tormented them in their Freshman English class. The latter had to stop himself from letting his jaw drop. Sure his sweetheart was changing the subject to lift the mood, but did he really have to use a relationship so terrible that it had a body count? 

Even still, the change of subject was welcomed. “Uh, yeah, I sure hope not!” said Junhui in response, “please, the last thing we need is one of us killing ourselves out of desperation.” 

Even as he rolled his eyes he cracked a smile at Wonwoo, who squished Junhui’s cheeks between his palms. “And leave my precious Junnie behind? I could never.”

The older pulled Wonwoo back into a tight embrace at those words. Even if they were a joke in the moment, he found them believable, and he would cling to them if it ended up being all they had left. But seriously, Romeo and Juliet? As he mumbled a thank you into Wonwoo’s shoulder he contemplated that painful story filled to the brim with dramatic irony. 

“Hey wait you might be on to something. Don’t they like, sneak out to ban- ‘Consummate Their Marriage’ or something?” Jun turned his face so that his nose now poked Wonwoo’s cheek.

“No, Romeo sneaks into Juliet’s house. Mister Capulet wouldn’t let Juliet  _ leave _ , are you crazy?” 

“Fine, nerd, but you get my point. What if we, y’know, do that?”

Wonwoo pulled his neck back to give Junhui a look that only teenagers gave each other. “Consummate our marriage?” The smirk he wore as he raised his eyebrows sent Junhui back into hiding his face in the crook of Wonwoo’s neck as he blushed furiously.

“You know what I mean!” He whined as he gripped Wonwoo’s shirt in embarrassment, “you’re so mean, Wonwon. Sneak out!”

Wonwoo laughed as he caught a glimpse of the embarrassed Junhui’s angry look and brought a hand up to run his fingers through his hair. “I’m sorry, kitten. Forgive me?” Junhui rolled his eyes again playfully as he nodded, and Wonwoo beamed down at him. “Thank you,” he leaned down to press a quick kiss to the top of Junhui’s head. “But yeah, sneaking out sounds reasonable. Especially if I hide it by going to see Mingyu or Soonyoung or going out with Jihoon.” 

“Ooh, good idea,” Junhui mused as he thought of his own excuses, “I can go out with Hansol, since I kinda drag him around already anyway. Super believable! And hopefully he’ll be down to help us so I don’t have to lie to him.” Back in the day, Junhui had enlisted Hansol’s help to practice confessing to Wonwoo, and he still, regrettably, sometimes asked him for fashion opinions when it came to ‘dates.’ He trusted that Hansol could keep his secret, and the boy typically did. What an angel. 

“Okay! So we can… start by meeting up here first? Or we can plan during the day. To choose locations?” A part of Junhui couldn’t believe they were actually going through with this, defying their families and risking themselves, but another part of him was immeasurably excited to. He could keep seeing Wonwoo. They wouldn’t have to let go of each other! 

“Either of those sound good. I’m about 97% sure my phone’s bugged now too, so planning during school is probably our best idea.” Junhui continued nodding at Wonwoo’s comment, since his phone was probably also bugged now that he thought about it. 

“See?” Wonwoo’s gentle smile was once again descending like warm sunshine on an overcast spring day, and Junhui couldn’t help but melt. “We’ll be okay.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> ♡♡♡♡♡♡
> 
> If you have comments I'd love to read them!


	3. New Moon

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> On a moonless night...

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> HAPPY BIRTHDAY WONWOO!!!! Know that I love you with my entire being and would steal the moon and stars out of the sky for you if you so even breathed a request. 
> 
> that being said i'm sorry in advance. I feel bad for posting this chapter of all things on his birthday of all days, but... perhaps I love irony.
> 
> !!Warning for mild blood and injury!!

A left. Another left. Now a right. 

As he ran through the twisting alleys he knew all too well covered by the veil of night, Junhui only had one thought on his mind. 

Wonwoo. 

Half an hour earlier, the Chinese boy had been leaning over the railing at the conservatory, frowning toward the sky. As opposed to the night with the meteor shower, tonight the lights in the sky were smeared and hidden behind a quite unwelcome blanket of clouds. On top of the weather, it was a new moon so there wasn’t even a semblance of a thin silver lining. How frustrating. 

What had been less frustrating and more anxiety-causing, however, was the fact that Wonwoo was late. 

In the past seven months since their “Break Up” and the beginning of their sneaking around, neither of them had been over five minutes late to meet up. If plans had to be changed last minute, middlemen would be enlisted to pass the message on. So despite everything they had to work around, Junhui and Wonwoo had never been late or entirely missed a meeting. 

Sure, it was only fifteen minutes, but fifteen minutes with a blanket meant for two draped around his shoulders sure felt like an eternity to Junhui. His fingers fiddled with his phone, turning it around in his hands and checking the about notifications every four seconds, hoping for something,  _ anything _ from Soonyoung, Mingyu, maybe even some kid they had been grouped into a project with in the past. The longer he waited, the more his worries piled. Maybe the foot traffic was just really, really bad. Maybe he got his phone confiscated? Yeah, maybe that angelic bookworm that did nothing rebellious (besides sneak out to see his star-crossed lover) got grounded for some heinous act. It wasn’t like their families already dealt drugs or anything. Thoughts like these kept Junhui from panic, but his relentless pacing could still only expend so much anxiety.

At the very least, the one worry he didn’t have to consider was that Wonwoo had stood him up. At school, the look glimmer of joy behind his bespeckled eyes as they passed each other in the hallway spoke volumes of how eager he was to meet up after two weeks of dodging suspicion. The fact that they could only see, really _ see _ each other a few times a month made them cherish their time together all the more, and being torn apart had finally broken the wall that limited their skinship and physical affection. In a way, it was freeing to be where nobody would watch and judge, but it still hurt to have to hide the way they did. Maybe their families could arrange a diplomatic marriage, or something.

Ten more minutes passed, and Junhui could no longer take it. Something had to be wrong. The blanket decorated in foxes was swiftly folded and stacked on top of the matching cat-patterned throw, and Junhui departed. 

He hurried into the city proper, and from there began his search. Best case scenario, he would run into a rushing, late Wonwoo full of apology kisses. The worst case scenario was not something he wanted to consider. So here he was, turning corners and avoiding where he knew people from his “family business” would be. But the city was big, and the longer he ran, the more the hopelessness of the situation set in. Even though they had shared their common routes with each other in case of this specific situation, it was still a daunting array of alleys and backstreets. 

Ten minutes into running, Junhui’s last bastion before desperation crumbled. He slowed himself to a jog to catch his breath, and with one hand on his abdomen to regulate his breathing, the other shakily pulled out his phone. 

Thank whatever higher power existed that they had just finished a group project together. Now he could call his group and “spread the news that their grades had been updated.” No suspicions would be aroused. 

But really, even if he did get caught this one time, finding Wonwoo and ensuring his safety would make it all worth it. They were already banned from seeing each other, anyway. Junhui’s brow furrowed as the bitter feelings toward this entire situation floated to the surface. The adults in their lives were so damn bent on keeping the two teens apart, and they hadn’t even done anything wrong, unless interacting and and a normal progression of human relationships counted. And because of filial piety and the iron fist of guns and knives everywhere, neither of them could say anything about it. It was really stupid. 

All this was mulled over as Junhui tapped his way to Wonwoo’s contact, wondering for the last time if he should reconsider. One more press and there would be no going back. Oh well. Whatever. Junhui shrugged to himself as he pressed the call button and raised the phone to his ear, slowing down his jog to a brisk walk so he could properly speak if- when Wonwoo picked up. 

Ring after ring sounded in his ear, before he heard Wonwoo’s voice in the context he probably wanted to hear it least. 

“ _ Hello, you’ve reached Wonwoo, but I’m not available. Text or email me if you really need me or call me back in 5, thanks. _ ” 

Junhui’s lower lip trembled at what “not available” might entail this night, but he really, really had to stop thinking about worst case scenarios like that. He waited until the recording of his boyfriend’s voice ended before hanging up, if only to hear his deep voice speak in that polite tone for a little longer . 

Now that he thought about it, Junhui had been present when Wonwoo recorded that message. For most of their lives they had gotten by with simply the default, but by Wonwoo’s suggestion they updated their voicemail recordings in order to “be more adult.” This had caused a laughing fit in the older because who cares about voicemail recordings, but Wonwoo’s pout had him agreeing to it anyway. And just like everything else they did before they were forced apart, they had done it together. 

What a bittersweet memory. But taking a deep breath and shaking himself up, Junhui stood up straight. The constant backpedaling to sorrow was starting to get tiring even to him. He’d been dwelling on it for long enough without doing nearly enough to compensate, and with that drive in mind, he pressed the call button once more. 

The teenager waited for the call to go through as he stared intently at his phone. His calming breaths and the faint ringing coming from his phone were the only sounds on the eerily quiet night, until they weren’t. 

It was soft, faint, but definitely real, and Junhui gripped his phone and took off running toward the source of the new sound. Finally years of piano and training his ears had found a practical use as he sped through the streets once more, the all too familiar hum of  _ that _ abhorrent song growing steadily in volume.

“A Time For Us,” leitmotif of  _ Romeo and Juliet (1968) _ . After Wonwoo had made the initial connection between their situations, there was no stopping him from making Junhui’s ringtone that terrible earworm of a song from the movie that made their whole class mildly to considerably uncomfortable. At least nobody would have to hear it, one because Junhui would never have a reason to call his boyfriend with their shared lack of privacy and two because what teenager kept their ringer on? Now as Junhui sprinted and made sure his phone was still calling, the notes became clearer and there was no mistaking it. “A Time For Us” was definitely ringing out, which meant Wonwoo was nearby. Even as Junhui’s legs and lungs began to burn from running so hard, he refused to slow down when he was so close. But when he finally reached the source of the song, he froze. 

Dread and horror ripped through him as he clenched his phone and stared, wide-eyed, at the scene before him. Lying limp against the wall of the dirty back alley was Wonwoo, who also gripped his still-buzzing phone in his hand. Junhui should’ve been overjoyed to have found him, and he was, but the joy was overtaken by fear and concern as he forced himself out of his shocked state and rushed to his boyfriend’s side. 

“Wonwon? W-” his breath caught in his chest as he knelt beside the boy. Wonwoo’s face was contorted in pain -- or at least from what Junhui could tell, it was. Blood flowed from his nose and dripped from his lips, the crimson caking his hair and traveling in rivers down the sides of his face. The panicked Junhui carefully lifted the younger into his arms, eliciting a pained grunt from him as he cracked his eyes open.

“Jun…” Wonwoo’s voice was weak and his breaths were labored, but his eyes, so clouded with pain, somehow still shined at the sight of Junhui. But the realization dawned that so long as they were outside, they could be attacked - perhaps the people who so brutally beat Wonwoo would return to finish the job, or someone from Wonwoo’s gang would mistake Junhui as the perpetrator and kill him. Neither option was exactly favorable. So before Junhui could properly physically or emotionally respond to the injured boy in his arms, he gently held him against his body and stood up. Bridal style probably wasn’t the kindest option for his arms, but even the minor jostling from standing had caused Wonwoo to let out a muted whimper of pain. 

The sound drove daggers into Junhui’s heart. The sooner he could get them to safety, the sooner he could treat Wonwoo’s injuries and — wait. Soon. Soonyoung’s House was on this block. It seemed that even when running for his life, Wonwoo was a genius. Junhui wasted no time getting to their mutual friend’s front door, and despite the late hour, the door was answered within five seconds of knocks. 

“Junnie! What br- WONWOO?” The energetic dancer greeted his fellow Drama Club member with a smile, but the moment after he laid eyes on the broken body in Junhui’s arms and grasped the situation, his expression darkened. 

He wordlessly led Junhui into his room and set out the copious amounts of medical equipment their friend group had insisted each member procure. Wonwoo had fallen unconscious sometime during the hurry from the streets to Soonyoung’s room, and despite the severity of injury it implied Junhui was thankful for that fact. It meant Wonwoo wouldn’t have to feel every disinfectant and minor movement made to his body. If Wonwoo had responded with the same gasps and cries as he had while he was conscious, Junhui wasn’t sure his heart could handle hearing that his most loved one was in so much pain. 

As they removed Wonwoo’s jacket and shirt, Junhui grimaced. No wonder every tiny movement had been so dreadful to him. Dark patches blossomed across Wonwoo’s slim torso, the thin frame battered and definitely broken in multiple places. One of his arms was almost completely purple, and the other was only marginally better. 

He had witnessed injury before, but this? Did whoever did this have no mercy? They had quite literally stopped within an inch of his life, and he hadn’t done anything to them. Nausea was welling up as his eyes flitted from bruise to bruise, until, “Jun.” Soonyoung’s uncharacteristically calm voice snapped him back to his duty, and Junhui shook himself back to reality to assume it. 

The two worked quickly to bandage their friend to the best of their ability and clean the multiple cuts he had sustained to bandage those as well. He looked half like a mummy by the end, but if it meant he was alive, it was worth it. 

Not long after they finished, Soonyoung had bid Junhui goodnight. Wonwoo had taken up his bed so after laying out a sleeping bag in case Junhui wanted to stay the night, Soonyoung took his couch. 

Junhui was left alone with the still unconscious Wonwoo. He pulled the chair from Soonyoung’s desk to his bed and sat as close to his Wonwoo as possible, desperately resisting the urge to climb into into bed and hold the younger. Doing so would only cause him pain at the moment, and Wonwoo had suffered enough tonight. Junhui elected to take hold of his hand instead, interlacing their fingers as he leaned forward in the chair and rested his head next to Wonwoo’s. 

“I’m so sorry.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Please don't hate me <3 
> 
> If you want to yell at me, I have a twitter @cobaltboba and a curious cat at that same url~  
> Or the comments section !


	4. Spoonful of Sugar

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> It makes the medicine go down, which kinda hurts, but at the same time the sugar is _sickeningly_ sweet.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Happy WonHui Day!!
> 
> I missed Korea's Aug 2 by an hour but it's Aug 2 where I am so it counts ;w; 
> 
> So again, I'm sorry in advance, and I hope y'all enjoy!

Wen Junhui wouldn’t call himself a crybaby. When he was nine and he fell and scraped up his entire body, he had only cried a little and found comfort in the Wonwoo who looked at cats with him until he forgot about the pain. When he was twelve and failed a piano audition the same day a test went badly, he had cried into Wonwoo’s shoulder, and they sneaked into their school’s music room so Junhui could play a concert for Wonwoo and Wonwoo only. 

And at seventeen, he had cried when the thought of losing Wonwoo for good entered his life for the first time.

Of course, this wasn’t to say he never cried at other times-- these were simply the times he remembered the most prominently. Each of those times, Wonwoo had been there, a pillar of company and laughter and comfort. Without fail.

But overall, Junhui didn’t cry often and when he did, it was subdued and over with in a short amount of time. It was this fact that made this night so different.

As Junhui clinged onto the unconscious boy’s hand and the moonless night descended inky darkness into the room, he couldn’t stop the tears from forming at the corners of his eyes. It was because of wanting to see him that Wonwoo was hurt like this.

_ This was my fault.  _

As Junhui gazed at the bandages covering almost every inch of the younger, his breath caught in his chest. Wonwoo’s pained cries echoed in his ears and he had no way to block them out.

_ He must hurt so much. _

He recalled the state that he had found Wonwoo in, fading in and out of consciousness in a dark alley after having been attacked. It had already been forty minutes past their missed meeting time.

_ I should’ve gotten there sooner. _

How Wonwoo’s phone, clutched in his hand, had been ringing, and how he was so close to Soonyoung’s house. Eyes wide, Junhui realized with a muted wail that Wonwoo must have, after he felt his phone ring the first time, in all his pain, reached for it and turn on the ringer so Junhui could find him. How much that would’ve hurt when even the lightest jostle had caused him to express more hurt than Junhui had ever seen in their ten years together, all so Junhui could find him. And for him to be so near to Soonyoung, someone who didn’t live quite near their normal route -- he must have run. Junhui’s free hand gripped at his hair as he pictured the fear coursing through his beloved as he ran from people he knew could kill him and did his best to make Junhui’s job as easy as possible. Even when running for his life, he had been thinking so deeply for Junhui. He had trusted that Jun would come find him.

_ I wouldn’t have been able to save him on my own.  _

It was only because he was so near to Wonwoo, holding Wonwoo, that Junhui tried to keep his body from quaking as much as possible. The sorrow that welled up in his chest poured out of him in the form of streaking tears and hushed cries, but the overwhelming amount of it left after every sob and every exhale was more than enough to entangle his heart and constrict his throat. It suffocated him, and it was relentless. Junhui tore his eyes away from Wonwoo and hid them in his elbow, unable to look at his injuries for any longer. 

Even when his sleeve was soaked, he didn’t stop crying. How embarrassing it would be if Soonyoung walked in on Junhui like this, and how much worse it would be if Soonyoung’s Parents did. But Junhui couldn’t find it in himself to care. Every part of him, every single thought was focused on Wonwoo, the relief that Wonwoo was beside him and breathing, and the despair caused by how close he had come to a situation where Wonwoo wasn’t.

_ He could have died tonight. _

Every few minutes that thought repeated. Taunting him, torturing him, morphing into shadows to grip and claw at his already aching heart.

_ I could have lost him forever. _

They were seventeen, and Junhui was turning eighteen in a few months. They weren’t even adults yet. And Wonwoo had almost been brutally killed on the streets. 

God, he wanted to hold him. To wrap Wonwoo in his arms and never see him hurt again, to kiss the hurt away and gently massage the horrible bruises back into nothingness, but he couldn’t even do that. Not without hurting him even more. 

As the utter helplessness Junhui felt set in, the tremors wracking his body began to calm. His sobs quieted to low whimpers as the catharsis that crying always brought started to wash over him, but even as Junhui cried himself to sleep, he refused to let go of Wonwoo’s hand.

 

~~~~~

 

When he woke up, Junhui regretted not drinking more water before going on a run and crying for an hour and a half. His head hurt, his eyes were swollen, everything was too bright despite it still being the morning, his lips were cracked, he couldn’t breathe through his nose, and his chest still felt tight. If this was what hangovers felt like, he never wanted to drink.

Stifling a groan, he gingerly untangled his fingers from his boyfriend’s and stood up to stretch, cracking his back and shoulders and neck for good measure. Sleeping bent over to the peak of his flexibility had not, in hindsight, been the best decision Junhui had ever made, but in his defence he was and still is distraught. Wonwoo seemed to be breathing easier, but he still wasn’t awake.

His next course of action was to scramble for his phone and text his parents that he was at Soonyoung’s house and to send the Proof Selfie from last night for good measure, complete with the timestamp. Once Wonwoo had gotten patched up, Soonyoung and Junhui pulled on all their acting expertise to smile for the camera and pose like they were just two buddies hanging out on a not-school night. 

Ah, school. Luckily for their attendance, the teenagers had been let out on a break, and while that wasn’t nearly enough for Wonwoo to recover completely, it was enough for them to spend time together has he did. It also gave the Soonyoung Excuse more grounds, as it was common knowledge that the boy loved sleepovers and his friends and sleepovers with his friends. Maybe fate didn’t hate him completely.

With a sigh, Junhui collapsed back onto the chair he had spent the night in, head rolled back to stare at the ceiling. He was still spent from his crying, and he now pondered pros and cons of breakfast. He was probably going to far overstay his welcome. In fact, he planned to in order to stay with Wonwoo. A glance at his almost dead phone told him it was 10, meaning absolutely nothing because it was break and Soonyoung was wildly unpredictable when he was free. Why had he even bothered checking? 

Junhui exhaled once more as he noiselessly descend the stairs to his friend’s kitchen. Said friend was still snoozing on the couch, so the Chinese boy was as quiet as possible as he poured himself a glass of water, chugged it down immediately, and filled up another glass to sip as he made the two of them breakfast. Once ham, eggs, and cheese were acquired from the fridge, one hand cracked eggs into a bowl while the other placed a frying pan onto the stove and turned the burner on. Junhui somberly gazed down at the egg as he grabbed a pair of chopsticks to beat the the yolk and whites into one, tilting the bowl at a 45 degree angle as he went.

As he watched the yellow paste swirl around the bowl the teenager did his best to think about anything but the events of last night, but his efforts were met with thoughts similar to the ones that had plagued his thoughts as he sat by Wonwoo. The what-ifs clouded his mind and his lower lip trembled, when a yell rang out from almost directly behind him. 

“JUNNIE!” Soonyoung practically jumped onto Junhui’s back and looped his arms around the Chinese boy’s neck in greeting, the sleep already gone from his glowing and grinning image. It took all of Junhui’s reflexes to save the beaten yolk from splattering onto the ground, but nothing could save the surprised screech that flew out of him at the sudden attack. Once he recovered however, he found that was laughing at his friend’s antics; his troubles had been momentarily banished from his mind. Soonyoung really was a blessing.

“Morning, Soonyoung!” Junhui chirped at the boy hanging onto his shoulders, “I hope you’re in an omelette mood, because I’m cooking today.” His statement was punctuated by his adding of a  pinch of salt to the yolk and the flourish of his knife as he diced the ham into little squares. 

“Oooooo!” Soonyoung’s mouth formed an ‘o’ as he peeked over the taller teen’s shoulder, “it smells great already!” 

Another ringing laugh left Junhui as he lightly hit Soonyoung’s forehead with the back of his hand. “I’m sure raw eggs and ham smell delicious. They aren’t even on the pan yet!”

“Nasal precognition.” Soonyoung’s eyes disappeared as he drew another laugh out of Junhui, and Junhui was thankful. For Soonyoung to joke like this in the face of his close friend suffering such horrendous injury no doubt was rooted in keeping Junhui’s and his own spirits up. The ham was tossed into the pan, and after a few seconds of sizzling the whipped egg joined it. Soonyoung grabbed two plates, and the smile on his face faltered for a moment when two thirds of the prepared egg, now sprinkled with cheese, was slid onto Junhui’s plate. After grabbing forks the two dancers were silent on their way up to Soonyoung’s room, Junhui instantly resuming his vigil in the seat next to the still-unconscious Wonwoo. The steaming eggs were placed on the bedside table and Soonyoung, not wanting to intrude, returned downstairs to eat his eggs

When he returned a few hours later to check in on the both of them, he was met with the sight of Junhui passed out, leaning over the bed with his head resting on his arms and his plate of egg untouched. The younger tsked lightly before he snuck over to take the breakfast downstairs, microwave it, and gently shake his friend awake. 

“Junnie,” Soonyoung was careful as to not stir Wonwoo from his rest, and as Junhui’s eyes fluttered open to the sight of his friend’s smile and the freshly reheated eggs, he couldn’t help but feel a pang of guilt for not only intruding and commandeering his room, but worrying him as well when they already had a Wonwoo to worry about. 

“It’s okay, Soonyoung. I’d rather wait for Wonwoo to wake up and eat with him.” Junhui flashed a smile back, but before Soonyoung even had to argue that he knew an acting smile when he saw it the former’s stomach growled a loud complaint. Junhui felt his cheeks heat up for a moment, but as he met Soonyoung’s eyes and the younger had his eyebrows raised as if to say,  _ ‘Are you  _ really  _ sure, Wen? _ ’ his protests died in his throat and he dropped his face into a pout to he take the aromatic plate of omlette from Soonyoung.

It took Junhui a few bites before it hit him just how hungry he was. It had been almost a full day since he had had his last meal since he and Wonwoo had planned a late night picnic during their meetup that never happened. And since then he had been nothing but anxious and worried sick -- first about the meetup and then about Wonwoo’s injuries.

“Thanks, Soonie.” Junhui’s smile, now genuine and sheepish, was met by a grin from the Soonie in question who returned it with yet another grin, hand posed in a checkmark to frame his chin. 

“But of course! Out of the two of you, he,” a sweep of his arm gestured to still-sleeping Wonwoo, “is the toothpick. We need to make sure you have meat on your bones!” Junhui had a hand over his mouth as he tried not to spit his breakfast out in laughs, and Soonyoung continued, “you need to have the body weight to keep this dumb freezing boy warm. You know? You know. Besides, your cooking is good and as much as I love it, I can only eat so much. S-”

Despite it being hard to hear under Soonyoung’s spiel, a groan from the bed shut him up immediately. Junhui whipped his head around to face the source of the groan, so surprised at Wonwoo’s first sound since the previous night that he accidentally lodged a chunk of egg in his throat. He coughed and hacked as Soonyoung frantically patted his back, and the moment he could breathe again his plate was placed on the table and his body was leaning over his boyfriend. 

“Wonwoo?” Junhui’s voice came of soft as he watched the other boy tentatively. His eyes were already moist, though he wasn’t sure if that was because of his worry or his choking a few moments ago. Probably both, he decided as he shut that train of thought away to focus on the waking boy. 

Wonwoo’s eyes fluttered open slowly, squinting a little as he adjusted to the sight of the boy currently monopolizing his vision. His lips quirked upward at the sight, and a laugh started to bubble up before a grimace replaced it. Still, there was a sly mirth in his eyes as they met Junhui’s. 

“Hm. Not even two seconds after I wake up and you’re already choking over me, Junnie?” Wonwoo’s smirk was met with Junhui’s incredulous expression and gaping mouth as Soonyoung failed to control a snicker from behind the standing boy. 

Junhui couldn’t believe it. Or rather, he could, and it was almost too perfect. Wonwoo’s stupid, terrible jokes meant that he was okay. He was okay. Wonwoo was okay. His dear Wonwoo, his precious closest friend and boyfriend and other half was okay. And he would be okay. 

The relief was overwhelming, and it showed itself in the form of tears as the anxiety that had built up in Junhui’s chest was finally released and poured out of him. God, there was no way he was hydrated enough for this. 

“J-Junnie?” Wonwoo’s sharp eyes opened wide at the sight of his Junhui sobbed inches away from him, and he choked back a pained cry as the instinct to hold him rocked agony through his body. “I--” he inhaled sharply but forced himself to continue, “I’m sorry, that wasn’t the best timing now that I think about it, Jun, Jun I’m here--”

“I know.” Junhui cut off his rising panic to beam down at him, a wide, brilliant smile that stopped Wonwoo’s words in his tracks. Junhui’s tears were dripping down onto the younger, but neither of them had it in them to care. “You’re here, Wonwon.” The former leaned down slowly until his forehead was resting against his boyfriend’s, and they stayed like that, Soonyoung a long forgotten thought. Their shared gaze of buried worry and surfacing love threatened to dampen Wonwoo’s as well, but again, neither cared. The sheer intimacy of this moment drew a little laugh out of Junhui, and the words that had created a trainwreck in his brain finally passed through his lips. 

“You’re okay.” 

Wonwoo was still reeling from the beautiful ringing of Junhui’s voice when the latter leaned in further, pressing their lips together into a sweet, fleeting dance. Junhui pulled back and laughed once more at the awed blush on Wonwoo’s face, a sweater-hidden hand lifting to wipe his tears off both his and his boyfriend’s faces. “Sorry, Wonwon. But you might hurt yourself if we kiss for any longer.” He knew that Wonwoo was physically affectionate during their kisses, and right now he didn’t want the younger to move any more than absolutely necessary.”

Wonwoo murmured something under his breath, and when Junhui cocked his head to the side in curiosity, his words were free of any flirtatious tone. “Well I’m sorry, It’s not my fault I woke up to an angel staring down at me,” There was even a shyness to his smile as his voice dripped with nothing but affection toward Junhui, who made a sound that was somewhere between a kitten’s squeal and a human yell. When he finally came out of hiding behind his sleeves it was at the call of Wonwoo’s stomach which growled and interrupted their sweet moment together. The two stared at each other until the noise subsided, then broke into snickers as well as they could with one party crying and the other in immense pain. 

At that moment, as if a star had been wished upon by Wonwoo’s rumbling stomach, Soonyoung practically kicked the door to his room down as he entered with Junhui’s plate of re-reheated omelette. 

“Alright lovebirds!” he opened with a shout, “That’s eno—oh you’ve already stopped?” The dancer gave them an eyebrow-raised look that told them he had expected them to be making out at this point despite Wonwoo’s condition, and he was met with incredulous looks in return. 

“Soonie!” The Soonie in question returned Junhui’s scolding tone with a wide-eyed shrug that killed any protesting the other wanted to throw at him before it could even leave his mouth. Junhui instead opted to pout and puff out his cheeks as he took the food from Soonyoung and turned back to face Wonwoo. 

Soonyoung, now grinning again at the cute sight of the couple in front of him, snapped a picture for the group chat before pocketing his phone and heading out the door. “Jihoon’s coming over soon, so we’ll be downstairs if you need us. But you probably won’t.” This prediction was punctuated with another eyebrow waggle, followed by Soonyoung quickly bolting downstairs before Junhui could throw his fork at him. 

Junhui was about to complain to Wonwoo, but before he could he was distracted by the intense stare the latter was giving the eggs in his hand. A little ‘aw’ slipped out, and the sound snapped Wonwoo out of his concentration into a sheepish smile up at his boyfriend. “So you’ll be feeding me?” 

“No, you’ll be moving your broken arms and feeding yourself yes I’m feeding you!!!” Junhui rolled his eyes with a smile as he speared the omelette and held it out for Wonwoo, opening his own mouth to mirror the action the injured boy was supposed to take. Wonwoo opened his mouth with an “Aaaah” for the eggs, and as he chewed he let out a sound halfway between a sigh and a moan. 

Junhui was worried for a moment that the eggs were still to hot to be consumed, and once Wonwoo’s tearful, gleaming eyes met his his worries only mounted more. The poor boy didn’t need to lose his tongue too! He should’ve checked the temperature of the eggs before he tried to feed them to another human. 

But when Wonwoo swallowed his lips tilted upwards into a grin that, on any other day, would’ve also scrunched his nose up. “Junnie,” he breathed, all semblance of pain momentarily gone from his face, “It’s been  _ so _ long since I’ve had your cooking.” He didn’t give Junhui time to even form any misguided apologies or surprised looks, he simply opened his mouth to request another forkfull of omelette. 

Junhui was, to say the least, relieved that he hadn’t hurt his boyfriend. But even more that that he was so deeply touched that in a single bite he had been able to identify the cooking as Junhui’s own, and on top of that have such a positive reaction to it. 

Over the course of their time together Junhui and Wonwoo had never stopped to consider if they had made the wrong choice being friends and then being together, and looking back Junhui realized this was one of the reasons why. They knew every aspect of the other down to the smallest details. Yes Junhui’s sense was a little dulled by swirling worry at the moment, but whenever they were together, whenever they did anything there was always something that made it recognizable as either “his” or “theirs,” however intangible that something was. 

Junhui’s heart wanted to burst out of his chest. He wanted to hand his soul to Wonwoo, where he knew it would be cared for meticulously and as a priority. How amazing that a simple sentence could invoke such powerful emotions in him. He wanted to envelop Wonwoo in his love and thank him for everything,  _ everything. _ But for now he had to focus on making sure the boy didn’t starve. For now it was is duty, and he would be sure to fulfill it. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> lmao tbh i kinda gave myself whiplash writing this chapter? I also took so dang long to write it the pacing might he hella wack.,.,. so that's something I'll probably go back and edit. 
> 
> Fun fact: I intended for NONE of this fluff to happen besides maybe cooking but look where we ended up. These two are too powerful
> 
> I also didn't proofread this at all.,,,,,,, it's ok it's fine!
> 
> Also school’s starting soon and I have college apps? So updates might be slow... there’ll probably be an update by the end of Nov at least!!! At best I get bored and write in one of the useless classes I will inevitably have!
> 
> Feel free to drop your opinions in the comments! Was the pacing weird? Do we want more fluff? Vote now on your phones!


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